A Buzz in Your Ear; Powering Devices
January 15, 2013 | Terry Sharrer
Since the 1950’s, auditory physiologists have known that vibrations (sound) on the eardrum are converted into electrical signals which travel to the brain. But now, engineers at MIT have been able to use that natural, biological “battery” to power a small wireless transmitter that can send data about the inner ear environment to an external receiver—in animal studies. The device apparently does not interfere with hearing. MORE
Image Credit: P.P. Mercier et al., Nature Biotechnology and SmartPlanet.com